Collapsible vehicle-box.



F. HEATH.

COLLAPSIBLE VEHICLE BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30.1915.

Patented Dec. 19, 1916.

z T Inventor tional City, in the county of San Diego and .NK HEATH, OFNATIONAL CITY, TIMIFOENTA.

CQLLAPSIBLE VEHICLE-BOX;

" To'aZZ-whom it may concern: Be it known that I, FRANKHEATH, a citizenof the United'States, residing at Na- State of California, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Vehicle-Boxes, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a collapsible box 'to be used in connection withthe rear end of a vehicle more particularly an automobile so that saidvehicle may be readily converted from a passenger vehicle to a deliveryframe of a vehiclereadlly thus making the vehicle quic ly convertiblefor use either as a delivery vehicle or a pas-' vehicle and from adelivery vehicle to a passenger vehicle.

I The objects of my invention are, first, to provide a device to be usedin connection with the rear end of a vehicle for delivery or caryingpurposes which is collapsible and may be readily folded up and the rearseat laced thereon,

, senger vehicle; second,'to provide a foldable box for delivery or carring purposes which combines strength and urability. with economy ofspace when folded; third, to provide a device of this class which isreadily made applicable for use with vehicles already con- 'structedwith but slight changes therein, and

fourth, to provide a device of this class which is simple and economicalof construction, durable, easily installed and will not readily get outof order.

-With these and other objects in view as will appear hereinafter, myinvention consists of certain novel features of construcmy device shownin its folded form and tion, combination and arrangement of parts aswill be hereinafter described in detail and reference being had to theaccompanying drawings and to the characters of reference thereon whichform a part of this specifi cation, in which particularly set forth inthe appended claims Figure 1, 1s a perspective view of my devicecomplete, shown mounted on the rear end of a vehicle frame, Fig. 2, is atop or plan view of my box device in its extended form, Fig. 3, is aside elevational view of the same, shown mounted on the rear of avehicle frame, Fig. 4, is a rear end view of showing a vehicle rear seatframe in section mounted thereon and Fig. 5, 1s a slde elevational viewof'my device shown in the folded formand mounted on Specification ofLetters Patent. Pamgmt gfl 111mg, 1% jigygg Application filed Juneair-191a. sex-mine. 37,2355.

vehicle frame and showing the rear seat framein section. Similarcharacters of reference refer to e, rear e similar parts throughout theseveral views. The main stationary part 1,, mainv foldable part 2, sidepieces 3, 4, 5 and 6, end piece '2',

hinges 8 and rear seat frame side pleoes 9,

gconstitute the principal parts of my device.

The main stationary part lis secured to lift the u per surface of theframe of the ,ve-

hicleack of the front seat and is slightly.

shorter than said frame. lt is provided vvith an upwardly extendingportion 1 ada ted to protect the rear surface of the vehicle seat.Hinged to thesides thereof, a short distance from its edges, are'theside pieces 3 and 4 by means of the hinges 1 and outwardly extended endsare. side pieces 5 and 6 ,by means of the hinges 8 and to the lowersidesof these pieces 5 and 6 is hinged,

connected to these side pieces 3 and4= at their by means of hinges 2*,the main foldable v,

part2 which is adapted, when in the posi tion shown in Fig. 1, to restagainst the outhill Ward end of the main stationary part i, the

frame of the vehicle extending slightly un-.

der this main 2 art 2 when in such position to support it a ong itsinner edge. Hinged I 1 db to the lower side of the main foldable part 2is the end piece 7 which is adapted as an end gate whenit is up againstthe ends of the side pieces 5-and 6 but it may be readily dropped downas shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawing.- This main foldablepart 2 is provided on its lower surface with piece, two of which areunder the rear seat of the vehicle when used for passenger purposes andthe other serves as a foot rest located just back of the front seat.This protill ' a plurality of cleats 2 for reinforcing this tilt vides adevice for delivery purposes, the. rear over-hanging portion beinsupported by means of the bin es 2. W on it is desired to convert the veicle into a assenger vehicle the end piece 7 is dropped down in theposition shown by dotted lines in Fig. l of the drawing, the side pieces3, 4t, 5 and 6 are folded down against the main pieces 1 and 2 on thehinges l 'and 2 then the pieces 2, 5, 6 and 7 are folded over the pieces3 and 4 by means of the hinges 8, the end pieces 7 extending upwardlyagainst the back of the seat as shown best in Fig. 5 of the drawing. Therear seat frame is provided with cleats ltlil) ltlli 9, adapted to fitbetween the pieces 1 and 2 the piece 1, being extended on the sides, ashereinbefore described, to provide a sup port for the sides of the rearseat frame and said cleats are slid endwiseinto the slots be tween theouter edges of these pieces, thus providing a substantial support forthe rear seat frame of the vehicle.

'lhough I have shown and described a particular construction,combination and arrangement of parts, I do not wish. to be limited tothis particular construction, combination and arrangement but desire toinclude in. the purview of my invention, the construction, combinationand arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims. It isobvious that with this con struction, there is provided a foldable orcollapsible box to be used in connection with the rear seat of a vehicleso that said vehicle may be readily converted from a passenger vehicleto a delivery or carrying vehicle and from a delivery or carryingvehicle to a passenger vehicle; that the device is simple and economicalof construction, durable, and easily installed and that it is readilymade applicable to vehicles already built with but slight changes intheir construction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device of the class describeth'the combination of an automobilebody frame, a stationary door part for the rear end there of securedthereto, side pieces foldable inwardly onto said stationary part,similar side pieces connected to the extended ends thereof by means ofhinges, another'floor part connected to said latter mentioned sidepieces by hinges whereby when said side pieces are folded down, saidlatter mentioned piece will fold up over said stationary piece, anend-gate hinged to said latter mentioned floor part. and

' my hand at San Diego,

a rear seat frame provided with inwardly extendingflanges adapted toslide between the side edges of said floor parts when they are in theirfolded position.

2. In a device of the class described, the

combination with the rear end of the frame of a vehicle, of a bottompart rigidly secured thereto extending from the back of the front seatto near the rear end of said frame, side pieces mounted thereon foldableinwardly against said bottom part, similar side pieces with their endshinged to the outwardly extending ends of said first mentioned sidepieces so as to fold upon said side pieces when they are folded down onsaid bottom part, another bottom part hinged to said last mentioned sidepieces adapted to fold with said pieces and when in its extendedposition said last mentioned body part is supported by the rear endframe of said vehicle.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with the rear endof'the frame of a vehicle, of a bottom part rigidly secured theretoextending from the back of the front seat to near the rear end of saidframe, side pieces mounted thereon foldable inwardly against said bottompart, similar side pieces with their ends hinged to the outwardlyextending ends of said first mentioned side pieces so as to fold uponsaid side pieces when they are folded down on said bottom part, anotherbottom part hinged to said last mentioned side pieces adapted to foldwith said pieces and when in its extended positionsaid last mentionedbody part is supported by the rear end frame of said vehicleand anend-gate hinged-t0 said body part whereby it forms an end-gate whenfolded against the ends of said side pieces and a foot rest when in itsfolded position.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set California this 24th day ofJune 1915.

FRANK HEATH.

